PARROT
As soon as he could say good evening
the parrot suddenly announced:
I’m the wisest, I speak Greek,
what am I doing here?
He dresses in his finest green
and to a birds’ symposium goes
to share his wisdom there,
and standing in his sternest posture
coughs a bit, then looks afar
and says to them good evening.
His words were much admired,
so learned a bird he seemed:
they said: no wiser bird there is
than he who speaks the tongue of men!
Perhaps from India he arrived
with many a book along with him.
He must have talked to many sages
to learn their bookish tongue.
Oh, educated parrot, give us please
the honor of a few more words.
And so the parrot coughs, and coughs
once more, and says good evening.
Manolis Aligizakis 